Lemon Asparagus Pasta

This recipe showcases a vegetable that my whole family loves - asparagus! Asparagus is almost always in my refrigerator because it's so easy to prepare and I love the flavor of it.

When my family took a trip to Germany, we noticed that the Germans love their asparagus, too! The German word for asparagus is "spargel" (which is so fun to say!). There were spargel stands all over the countryside, much like Texas has fireworks stands everywhere. A ton of restaurants offered dishes with asparagus, because it was fresh and in season. My personal favorite, however, is the yearly Spargel Festival in which they crown a Spargel Queen! I think they could make an awesome scepter modeled off of an asparagus stalk.

Anyway, I digress. This recipe uses asparagus, but not as a side! It's actually pureed into a sauce with lots of lemon flavor, like an asparagus-lemon pesto! I was a little skeptical at first, as I usually prefer to have my asparagus in a more recognizable form, but it's delicious!

When you're cooking with asparagus, be sure to avoid using the very end of the stalk - it's tough and not very flavorful. The easiest way to get rid of the ends of the stalks is to just snap each stalk into 2 pieces with your fingers. The break point is where the tough part begins, so just throw the bottom away and use the rest!

Be sure to cook the asparagus for a long-enough time - it needs to be soft enough so that it will puree easily. Also, you don't have to roast the pine nuts (the original recipe didn't call for it) but I think that it brings out the flavor. :) 

Lemon Asparagus Pasta

Source:The Healthy College Cookbook

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 10-15 stalks asparagus
• 1/2 lb. pasta
• 2 T. olive oil
• Canola oil
• 2 T. pine nuts
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 2 t. lemon pepper seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Before you start:Cut your asparagus stalks into 1.5-2" lengths and bring a small pot of salted water to a boil.

Recipe

1. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until just barely tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Put some canola oil in a pan, and add the pine nuts and one teaspoon of the lemon pepper seasoning. Toast the nuts at medium heat until they are fragrant and just starting to brown.
3. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and put it into a food processor. You'll be using the water for the pasta as well. Bring the water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to your package's directions.
4. In the food processor, add the lemon juice, the rest of the lemon pepper seasoning, salt, pepper, oil, and half of the pine nuts (save the rest for garnishing!). Blend until smooth - add more oil if you need to.
5. Drain the pasta, then combine with the asparagus mixture, and stir in some of the parmesan. Top with the rest of the parmesan and pine nuts.

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!